Burn injuries are devastating and painful. When another person’s negligence caused the injury, you can be entitled to compensation in a lawsuit. However, don’t attempt to negotiate your own insurance settlement. Let our top-notch Houston burn injury lawyer at Suits & Boots Accident Injury Lawyers get the most money for your medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.
Why Choose Us?
The Houston personal injury Lawyers at Suits & Boots Accident Injury Lawyers have helped many people with severe burns after auto accidents, fires, workplace accidents, and more obtain just compensation for their losses. Our skilled burn injury lawyers in Houston have successfully represented serious injury victims and secured plentiful settlements and jury awards for their losses. Our past burn and personal injury clients have provided five-star reviews for our legal work and financial results in settlements and litigation.
The attorneys at Suits & Boots Accident Injury Lawyers are standing by to speak with you. Please contact our Houston burn injury lawyers today for a free consultation at (713) 489-0922..
Compensation In Houston Burn Injury Claims
In Texas, the compensation you can receive for a burn injury claim depends on several factors, including the burn’s severity, the incident’s circumstances, and the impact on your life. Burn injury claims typically fall under personal injury law, and compensation is divided into three main categories: economic, non-economic, and, in some cases, punitive damages. Potential compensation in a Houston burn injury claim may include:
Economic Damages
These cover measurable financial losses caused by the burn injury. In Texas, there’s no cap on economic damages, so you can seek full compensation for:
- Medical expenses: Costs for emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, such as skin grafts, medications, rehabilitation, and future medical treatment. Severe burns often require extensive care, potentially costing hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. You could have serious infections that require months or years of medical care.
- Lost income: Compensation for income lost while recovering. If you cannot return to work temporarily or permanently, this can include past and future earnings.
- Other expenses: Out-of-pocket costs like travel to medical appointments or home modifications for long-term disabilities.
Non-Economic Damages
These address intangible losses, which are harder to quantify but significant in burn cases due to their painful and life-altering nature. Burn injuries are always painful, so non-economic damages can be substantial:
- Pain and suffering: Compensation for physical pain, which can be extreme with burns, especially during treatment like debridement or grafting.
- Emotional distress: Covers mental anguish, trauma, or depression, often linked to scarring or disfigurement.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: If burns limit your ability to engage in hobbies, relationships, or daily activities.
- Disfigurement or scarring: Severe burns often leave permanent marks, especially on visible areas like the face, which can increase this award.
Our Houston burn injury lawyer will work with your medical team to exhaustively document your medical bills, future medical expenses, lost income, lost earning capacity, and degree of pain and suffering. We understand you need and deserve every dime when someone’s negligence caused your burn injuries.
How And Where Do Houston Burn Injuries Happen?
Burn injuries in Houston can occur in various locations, depending on the circumstances. Many burn accidents happen in auto accidents, but the industrial landscape of the city means serious burn injuries caused by other parties can occur elsewhere:
Workplaces
Houston’s industrial landscape, including its oil refineries, chemical plants, and construction sites, makes workplaces a significant location for burn injuries. Chemical burns from hazardous materials, electrical burns from faulty equipment, and thermal burns from explosions or fires are common in these settings. Areas like the Houston Ship Channel, home to numerous petrochemical facilities, are particularly high-risk.
Roads and Highways
Burn injuries often occur during car accidents, especially when fuel lines rupture, or vehicles catch fire. Houston’s busy highways, such as I-10, I-45, and the 610 Loop, see frequent collisions that can result in such incidents, impacting drivers, passengers, or bystanders.
Restaurants and Commercial Kitchens
Scalding injuries from hot liquids or grease fires can happen in Houston’s restaurants and food service establishments. Workers and sometimes patrons in places like the downtown area, Galleria, or Montrose, known for dense dining scenes, may be at risk.
Recreational Areas
Outdoor activities in Houston’s parks, such as Hermann Park or Memorial Park, or near water bodies like Galveston Bay, can lead to burns from campfires, grills, or gasoline-powered equipment. These incidents often spike during warm months or holidays.
Maritime and Offshore Sites
Given Houston’s proximity to the Gulf Coast and its role in the maritime industry, burns occur on ships, offshore rigs, or docks due to engine fires, electrical faults, or explosions. The Port of Houston and nearby offshore oil platforms are notable hotspots.
Always retain a burn injury attorney in Houston if another party’s negligence caused your burn injuries, regardless of how it happened.
What Causes Burn Accidents In Houston?
One of the most common causes of severe burn injuries in Houston are tractor-trailer accidents. Thousands of commercial trucks stream throughout the Houston area on any given day. A serious truck crash can lead to devastating fires and burn injuries for innocent motorists. Common causes include:
- Fuel tank explosions: Trucks, especially 18-wheelers, carry large amounts of diesel or gasoline. A collision can rupture fuel lines or tanks, and any spark can ignite the fuel, leading to intense fires or explosions.
- Hazardous cargo fires: Many trucks in Houston transport flammable or toxic materials, such as chemicals or petroleum products. If these spill and ignite during a crash, victims can suffer severe thermal or chemical burns.
- Electrical burns: Damaged wiring or contact with downed power lines after a wreck can cause high-voltage burns, potentially leading to internal injuries or cardiac issues.
- Friction or contact burns: High-speed crashes may cause the skin to scrape against rough surfaces or hot vehicle parts, resulting in friction or thermal burns.
A commercial truck accident with severe burn injuries should only be overseen by a skilled truck accident or burn injury attorney. The commercial trucking company must carry large commercial insurance policies, and negotiating the most compensation from the insurance provider should be done by an experienced personal injury attorney.
Common Types of Burn Injuries
Regardless of the cause, an accident with burn injuries can lead to devastating damage and pain. Common types of burn injuries from accidents include:
Thermal Burns
These burns are from contact with heat sources like flames, hot surfaces, scalding liquids, or steam. They can happen in restaurant kitchen or dining room accidents, as well as auto accidents. Second- and third-degree burns are common in kitchen and car accidents.
Chemical Burns
Chemical burns often happen in Houston’s industries due to exposure to corrosive substances like acids, alkalis, or solvents. Spills or mishandling of industrial chemicals in construction and manufacturing lead to severe chemical burns. Battery acid leaks in auto accidents are another cause. Deep tissue damage is possible because the chemical can continue to burn for long periods. (e.g., construction, manufacturing).
Electrical Burns
These severe burns happen when people come into contact with live electrical currents or lightning. They are common among electricians and construction workers. Although they may look minor on the surface, they may cause major internal damage.
Friction Burns
These burns happen from the skin rubbing on a rough surface at high speed, such as road rash in a bicycle or motorcycle accident. Abrasions and heat damage can severely damage the skin and underlying tissues. Infections are common and sometimes fatal.
Fighting The Insurance Company After A Burn Injury
Dealing with an insurance company after a burn injury can be challenging. It’s incredibly frustrating for a severe burn injury victim to wrangle with complex insurance companies from a hospital bed. Common insurance issues after serious burn injuries are listed below. A skilled burn injury lawyer in Houston can lift these burdens from your shoulders so you can focus on recovery and rest:
- Claim denials: Insurance companies might deny your claim outright, citing reasons like insufficient coverage, policy exclusions (e.g., if they argue the injury resulted from an intentional act or negligence not covered), or disputes over liability. For instance, if the burn occurred due to a fire they suspect was arson, they may refuse payment pending investigation.
- Lowball offers: Insurers often propose settlements far below what’s needed to cover medical bills, lost income, or pain and suffering. Burn injuries can require extensive treatment, such as surgeries, skin grafts, or long-term therapy, and initial offers might not reflect these ongoing costs.
- Delays in processing: Insurance companies may drag their feet, hoping you’ll accept a quick, lower payout out of desperation. This can be especially tough with burn injuries, where immediate funds might be critical for treatment or living expenses if you’re unable to work.
- Disputing severity or causation: They might argue your burns aren’t as severe as claimed or that they weren’t directly caused by the incident but rather by a preexisting condition. This can minimize their payout.
- Policy fine print: Coverage limits, deductibles, or exclusions (like not covering certain types of burns, such as chemical vs. thermal, or injuries from workplace accidents if they expect workers’ comp to apply) can catch you off guard. If your policy lapsed due to missed payments, they can deny the claim entirely.
- Pressure to settle early: Insurers may push for a fast settlement before you fully understand the extent of your injuries. With burns, complications like infections or scarring might not show up right away, and accepting too soon can leave you under-compensated.
Rely on a skilled Houston burn injury lawyer to fight for the most compensation from the insurance company. Don’t waste your limited energy and focus on difficult insurance adjusters. Our attorneys will handle everything.
What To Do After A Burn Injury In Houston
A Houston accident and burn injury is potentially devastating to your life. After getting immediate medical attention at a local Houston hospital, ensure that you or a loved one takes the following steps to preserve your legal rights:
- Document everything: Keep a detailed record of the incident—how it happened, where, and who was involved. Take photos of your injuries and the scene if possible. Gather witness contact information and save any related receipts from medical bills. This evidence can strengthen your case.
- Don’t talk to the insurance company alone: If the injury was caused by someone else, their insurance company might contact you. They may offer a quick settlement, but it’s often less than you deserve. Avoid giving statements or signing anything without legal guidance—they’re looking out for their interests, not yours.
- Hire a Houston burn injury lawyer: Burn cases can get complicated, especially if negligence or liability is disputed. A local attorney familiar with Texas law can evaluate your case, negotiate with insurers, and fight for fair compensation. Many offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis—meaning no upfront cost, and they only get paid if you win.
- Know your potential compensation: You might be entitled to damages for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and possibly punitive damages if the responsible party was grossly negligent. Severe burns often involve long-term care like surgeries or therapy, so factor those costs in.
- Find all liable parties: Depending on the cause, such as a workplace incident, apartment fire, or product malfunction, multiple parties can be responsible, including employers, property owners, or manufacturers. Texas doesn’t require employers to carry workers’ compensation, so you might sue them directly for negligence if they don’t. Your Houston burn injury lawyer will ensure that all potentially liable parties are located.
Contact Our Houston Burn Injury Lawyers Now
Few situations are graver than an accident with a burn injury. You have legal options for compensation if another party’s negligence caused the accident. A lawyer can determine liability and hold the responsible parties accountable for their negligence.
Our proven burn injury lawyers at Suits & Boots Accident Injury Lawyers will safeguard your rights and pursue maximum compensation for your injuries and damages. No legal fees unless we win your case. Call us today at (713) 489-0922..